Could we be seeing a station wagon renaissance.

Jalopnik reports, “Honda announced today it’ll debut the Acura TSX Sport Wagon — you can’t call anything just a wagon anymore — later this month at this year’s New York Auto Show. This will be followed up by a quick trip to the dealerships in the ‘late fall’ i.e. expect to wait until at least October.”

The announcement is mildly surprising, given that Honda recently introduced the Accord Crosstour and Acura ZDX crossovers. Most car companies have moved away from station wagons in favor of the more SUV-like crossovers, which have fewer wood-sided Country Squire associations for most buyers than a station wagon.

Left Lane News says, “No official word on powertrains, but Acura’s press release did mention the four and six-cylinder versions of the TSX sports sedan, indicating both engines will be on offer in the TSX Sport Wagon.” While Acura’s press release has few details, it says the TSX Sport Wagon “will offer a new solution to modern utility needs with its balanced and efficient performance coupled with bold styling and versatile cargo capabilities.”

Jalopnik comments that “It’s unfortunate they’re going to add a premium to it [by making it an Acura instead of a Honda], but it makes sense to bring it here as the Acura since the TSX already shares a platform with the Euro Accord and there’s already the U.S. Accord-based Crosstour. As for pricing, the Honda Accord Crosstour starts at $29,670, just higher than the Acura TSX starting price of $29,310. It’s big brother the ZDX starts at $45,495 so we’re hoping the TSX slots somewhere in between.”

Look for the 2011 TSX Sport Wagon to debut at the New York Auto Show on March 31, and to hit dealerships this fall.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.

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Even Eric Estrada didn’t get this much excitement.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports, “The California Highway Patrol says an officer helped slow a runaway Toyota Prius from 94 mph to a safe stop after the car’s accelerator became stuck.”

The L.A. Times writes, that James Sikes, 61, is “The driver of a Toyota Prius who called 911 on Monday to report his accelerator was stuck finally got the car stopped after about 20 minutes with the help of the California Highway Patrol, officers said. . . . The cellphone call came about 1:30 p.m. from the driver of the blue 2008 Prius eastbound on Interstate 8 in San Diego County.” The Chronicle adds, “A patrol car pulled alongside the Prius and officers told Sikes over a loudspeaker to use the brakes and emergency brake. After the car slowed to about 50 mph, Sikes felt safe enough to turn off the engine and coast to a halt.”

NPR writes that Sikes, the car’s owner, “says his accelerator ‘wouldn’t do anything’ after becoming stuck yesterday on a stretch of Interstate 8 in southern California.” The L.A. Times quotes Sikes as saying, “I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny . . . it jumped and it just stuck there . . . As it was going, I was trying the brakes . . . it wasn’t stopping.”

Jalopnik comments, “This high-profile incident comes on the same day Toyota made just-as-high-a-profile defense of its cars against an ABC News report Toyota calls a ‘careful and deliberate manipulation’ of the facts.” Also, Jalopnik notes that the 2008 Prius, “is under the floor mat recall but not the brake pedal recall.”

In response to the incident, Toyota says it “has dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the report and offer assistance.”

Check out the latest Toyota recall news and information, including how the company’s recent troubles affect our rankings. If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.

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Car reviewers have gotten behind the wheel of the new 2011 Ford Super Duty trucks — and the reviews are good.

PickupTrucks.com writes, “At this moment, there’s no doubt that Ford has once again raised the bar to new levels of performance and productivity for heavy-duty pickups. The Super Duty continues to be the standard against which its competition will be measured”

Autoblog points out that the new Super Duty trucks aren’t without some stiff competition: “If what you do requires a tool shaped like a truck, then you’re currently experiencing a nirvana-like period in history. In just the last few months, Chrysler and General Motors introduced their new heavy-duty trucks. We drove the 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty in October and liked it. We also saw the Chevrolet and GMC HDs at the Chicago Auto Show last month.” Still, they conclude, “If this were the 1990s and fuel were cheaper than bottled water, some people might be tempted to buy a new Super Duty to be their driveway truck. It’s certainly comfortable enough to be driven every day, even if your destination isn’t a quarry, factory or construction site. But fuel isn’t that cheap anymore.”

Autoweek agrees: “This is not a rig for poseurs. It is for serious haulers and towers only,” but “If you live out in the country and really need to haul stuff, this is your wagon. … Ford sells more Super Duty trucks than any competitor’s sales, and after a day trying out all manner of these heavy haulers, we can see why.”

PickupTrucks.com gives the rundown on what’s new for 2011, saying the “most significant changes include two new gasoline and diesel engines and a new six-speed automatic transmission that’s used for both versions. …Both engines have been engineered from scratch. The standard 2-valve 6.2-liter V-8 gas engine develops 385 horsepower (at 5,500 rpm) and 405 pounds-feet of torque (at 4,500 rpm), up from the old 5.4-liter gas V-8’s 300 hp and 365 pounds-feet.” However, the engines don’t stop there: “it’s the 4-valve 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel engine that’s the darling of the powertrain lineup. It pumps 390 hp (at 2,800 rpm) and a staggering 735 pounds-feet (at 1,600 rpm). Roughly 60 percent of Super Duty pickups are ordered with diesel engines.

The 2011 Super Duty comes to market with more power, as well as larger towing capacities. Autoblog reports, “The F-250 can tow up to 14,000 pounds, half a ton more than the current Dodge and GM HD models. The big F-450 can handle up to a 24,400-pound trailer. This is 4,400 pounds more than the closest GM and nearly three tons more than the Dodge HD. The comparisons continue in Ford’s favor regarding payload. This seems all the more remarkable given that the Super Duty’s frame is generally a carryover piece. Engineers felt it was strong enough as it was. “

On the road, Autoweek calls the Super Duty “Surprisingly quiet and comfortable. This is not your father’s 18-wheeler. At speed on smooth pavement, you’ll feel like you’re driving your apartment building down the street. Whack a few bumps and the suspension does a surprisingly good job of controlling the 1,300 pounds to 1,500 pounds of unsprung weight under there.”

Autoblog notes, “The interior received some attention, but nothing close to a full redesign. The Super Duty’s interior looks like it’s heavy duty, and carries over the high-quality materials, finishes and general function that impressed us on the previous generation.”

The 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty Pickups will reach dealerships this spring.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.

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After some claims that incidences of unintended acceleration were due to the electronic systems in come Toyotas, not sticking throttles, Toyota is fighting back.

The Associated Press reports, “Toyota Motor Corp. plans to try to undercut suggestions that its electronics systems caused the sudden acceleration problems that led to the recall of more than 8 million vehicles.”

USA Today explains, “A professor’s experiment, demonstrated in an ABC News report and described in congressional testimony, alleged that Toyota Avalon’s electronic controls were vulnerable to short circuits. Toyota’s report today says the experiment’s ‘highly artificial conditions’ would not occur in real use.” The experiments were conducted by David Gilbert.

Kicking Tires adds that in tests conducted by Exponent, a firm hired by Toyota, “The test had the same effect on other manufacturers’ vehicles,” and, in order to replicate the effect, engineers “had to cut into two separate insulated wires. Exponent tested five vehicles, including a Honda Accord and BMW 325i.”

That’s not the only problem being raised about various investigations into Toyotas, and the company’s handling of the recalls.

Gawker took issue with how an ABC News report portrayed unintended acceleration in a Toyota Avalon. Gawker writes, “Brian Ross . . . has been credited with owning the Toyota recall story, including one memorable report with Ross behind the wheel of an out-of-control car. He did it by splicing in staged footage to make it look scarier.”

Autoblog says, “It appears that an editor or producer at ABC felt they could pull a fast one on the audience and used some B-roll in the report showing the tachometer needle sweeping rapidly from near idle to over 6,000 rpm. That clip was injected at the precise moment when David Gilbert triggered his simulated sudden acceleration. . . .the shot of the tachometer clearly shows the warning lights for the parking brake on, the doors open and the transmission indicator in park. The camera operator shot this segment separately so it could be used to illustrate a point in the report, and ABC claims that getting a steady shot during the test would’ve been both difficult and dangerous.”

Gawker adds, “ABC News spokesman Jeffrey Schneider confirmed to Gawker that the tachometer shot was indeed taken from the parked car and spliced into Ross’ death ride. But he says the shot wasn’t just taken while someone stepped on the gas pedal—it was filmed while Gilbert performed the same test that caused the acceleration while Ross was driving.”

Autoblog comments, “The B-roll shot doesn’t indicate anything conclusive one way or the other about the validity of the test and certainly doesn’t stand as proof of anything being rigged. However, the lack of transparency by ABC and Mr. Gilbert regarding the specific procedure doesn’t add to the credibility of either the claims or the report, and the lack of clarity by Toyota in its response to Gilbert’s assertions doesn’t do the automaker any favors, either.”

Check out the latest Toyota recall news and information, including how the company’s recent troubles affect our rankings. If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.

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Saab may have benefited from an eleventh-hour rescue, but the brand isn’t wasting any time in trying to get back on its feet.

Left Lane News reports, “The brand that almost vanished into the history books is back with just one model range until the summer release of the 2011 9-5, although a new slushy road-oriented 9-3X finally joins the lineup.”

That one model is the Saab 9-3, and prices have dropped slightly for 2010. USA Today reports that Saab “says it is lowering prices 4% to 12% compared to the 2009 models.”

Autoblog homes in on one 9-3 variant: ” The most noteworthy ride on just-released the price list? That would be the 2010 Saab 9-3X, the Allroad/Outback style jacked-up, all-wheel-drive SportCombi. Parking one in the garage at your ski home in Aspen will set you back, at minimum, $37,800, including destination.”

In addition to the 9-3X, the 9-3 is available as a wagon (called the SportCombi), a sport sedan, and a convertible. So even though Saab just has the 2010 9-3 for now, there’s a lot of diversity in that one model.

Still, Automobile Magazine reports, “With news of Saab’s struggle to survive keeping people from dealerships, sales for Saab totaled 97 for February. Nationwide, Saab dealers have about 500 model year 2009 vehicles for sale.” Production at Saab had been halted while the company’s future was dealt with, but reports indicate that the 2010 models should be headed to the U.S. soon.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.

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